(Minghui.org) I often hear practitioners say, “Is this the right time to start a business, buy a house, or get married?” Even when buying a household item, someone would say, “Is it okay to spend that kind of money? Will you be able to take it with you at the end of the Fa-rectification?”
In my opinion, these thoughts reveal an attachment to time. We are practicing Dafa among ordinary people. The only difference between us and ordinary people is our xinxing. We should conform to the state of ordinary society; otherwise, people will not understand us and view us as strange.
Maintaining a Practice Site
I was assigned to temporarily maintain a Falun Dafa practice site at the botanical garden during the second half of 2014. After experiencing many issues, I realized that maintaining a practice site was not as simple as I thought.
Except for rainy or snowy days, I had to go the practice site, no matter how cold or windy it was, and I could not be late. When I arrived at the practice site, it was still dark.
In the summer, there were often homeless people around the practice site. Although they left when I arrived, I had to clean up the rubbish on the ground. Sometimes it was too dark to see clearly, and I would grab a handful of feces. Fortunately, I wore leather gloves.
One morning, we had just finished the sitting meditation when we saw many rows of chairs and several large acoustic speakers set up nearby. I didn't know which religious group was holding a large-scale event, but police were there to maintain order. The Dafa banners we had put up on the wire fence was taken down by the police.
The English-speaking practitioners rushed to take back the banners. The police asked us to leave the park and said that we needed to get a permit since we had many people there.
It was a weekend day in the summer, and there were more practitioners than we usually had at the site. When the number of people exceeded a certain threshold, one had to apply for a permit. However, the permit was only for one day, and we couldn't apply for a permit every day. If we left one hour early on the weekends, there wouldn't be a conflict between us and the religious group, and the police usually did not bother us.
What should I do after suddenly encountering such a thing? Each practitioner had his or her own opinion. I turned off the exercise music and told everyone that we were done for the day and that they could finish the exercises at home.
Some practitioners said that they were not even afraid of the police in China. They asked, “Why are you afraid of the police overseas? Where are your righteous thoughts?” A few practitioners refused to leave and continued to practice without music. I put the banners and music player into my bag, waved to the policeman, and left.
On the way home, some practitioners kept sending me text messages that we shouldn’t leave and shouldn’t be afraid of the police. My own understanding was that the U.S. government did not oppose our belief in Falun Dafa.
We cooperated with the police, and it was a rare opportunity to make a good impression. If we did not cooperate and chose to stay there, we would have irritated the police and caused them to have a bad impression of Dafa. After all, we exercise there every day, and nothing was wrong by backing off one step.
Master Gives Hints When I Face Conflicts
I later remembered that Master had given me a hint that morning. I had just started the fifth exercise in the morning when the music player automatically went back to the fourth exercise. I restarted the fifth exercise, and the player returned to the fourth exercise again. I thought that the music player had a problem. Later, I realized that Master was giving me a hint.
Master said:
“...when you take a step back in a conflict, you will find the seas and the skies boundless.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)
During these years of maintaining the practice site, Master used various methods to give me hints and encourage me.
For example, I was a bit timid doing the exercises alone in the dark morning. I always stared at the park gate, looking forward to the arrival of other practitioners. Once, a practitioner told me that he accidentally came to the park an hour early.
The park was dark and surrounded by silence, and he felt a little uneasy while sitting in meditation. When he opened his eyes, he saw Master's fashen sitting next to him, and his fear disappeared instantly.
After hearing her story, I never worried about being alone anymore. One practitioner told me that he often saw the sky over the practice field “...shielded with red light, and it is red all over.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
He also saw that the practice site was full of golden light, and he saw many rotating Falun. I also sometimes photographed Falun when I took a picture with my mobile phone.
Every year, the trees around the practice site had blossoming eucalyptus flowers. These varied miracles were a solemn and sacred encouragement for me.
Maintaining Cultivation Standards in Ordinary Society
To maintain this practice site well, I must first have stable employment and work hours. I thought that being my own boss would meet that requirement. Therefore, I opened up a clothing store in my city. It has been running well for four years.
It was really as I envisioned. I was my own boss and had the opportunity to clarify the truth about Dafa to customers. Running a clothing store can make money and also provide a platform for truth-clarification.
In the morning, I can go to the practice site. I can also make truth-clarification phone calls. I don’t need to ask for leave to participate in Dafa activities. In short, being my own boss solved all my problems.
However, after I opened the store, I was misunderstood by many practitioners. Some said, “Is now the time to open a store to make money? You came to the United States and seem to be obsessed with the U.S. dollar. Even though you did well in China, you still need to cultivate diligently here,” and so on.
Master said:
“If tomorrow is Consummation, today you still won't know it, and suppose you're thinking about opening a business, then just go ahead and do it. But I'll harmonize everything for you. Don't think about anything! Just do whatever you're supposed to do.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Vancouver, Canada, in 2003,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. II)
I understood that fellow practitioners were trying to help me, but I knew that I did not violate the principles of Dafa.
Dealing with Interference as a Practitioner
In addition to being misunderstood by practitioners, I also incurred objections from everyday people. There were several store owners and their friends in the same mall who were pro-communist.
They knew that I practiced Falun Dafa, and they often attacked Dafa with vicious words. They intentionally said those things loud enough so I could hear them. I just ignored it and still treated them politely because they had been deceived by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) lies and were being used by the CCP. I wanted to use my own actions to validate Dafa and correct their misunderstandings of Dafa.
Within a few months, they changed their attitude toward me. One of them came to my store and bought clothing she liked.
“On this street,” she said, “your store has the best business, your store has high-quality clothing, and you charge a fair price. I think customers like you because you have a good temper.”
She continued, “We also like you. You never cause problems, and you get along well with everyone. You don't get angry, even when others steal your business. We also want to learn from you.”
I clarified the truth about Dafa to her and explained that it was Dafa that changed me. I told her not to be deceived by the CCP's lies and the importance of distinguishing between good and evil.
I also told her the meaning and importance of quitting the CCP and its youth organizations. I asked her to tell her friends not to slander Dafa for their own good.
She said: “I was a teacher in China and was a CCP member. Please help me quit the Party.”
Establishing Stable Environment
Since I opened the store, I’ve had many customers. I’ve encountered different situations while telling people about Dafa and won't list all of them here.
All in all, this clothing store provides me with a stable income, and it is a good platform for truth-clarification. I can tell people about Dafa in a relaxed and safe environment, customers interact easily with me, and I can remove their misunderstandings about Dafa in a pleasant and relaxed manner.
Category: Improving Oneself
